Vol. 448 No. 8
10 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if he will ensure that the special funds provided for tourism in the Border region are additional to and not in substitution for a fair share of the normal funding available. [2729/95]
It would be my intention to ensure that any special funds provided for tourism development in the Border region will be additional to the funding available nationally from which the region will of course also benefit proportionately.
These special funds are likely to come from the INTERREG II programme, the EU's support programme for the peace process, which was agreed at the Essen Summit, and the International Fund for Ireland. The specific funds for tourism purposes from each of these sources is still in the course of negotiation but I am satisfied that, taken in conjunction with other funding and the continuing peace, they will lead to a very significant and valuable growth of tourism in the Border region.
I thank the Minister for his reply. He referred a number of times today to the peace process. Does he accept that in view of the peace process there is a greater potential for tourism growth in the Border area than in any other part of the country? Will the Minister confirm that the European Union and the International Fund for Ireland have recognised the special problems in the Border area and that is why additional money was provided and that since 1973 funding specifically provided for Border areas was not always additional and it is important that in the light of the new developments the money provided is additional? A special tourism fund for the Cavan-Monaghan area was established by Bord Fáilte and by the Department when the former Minister, John Wilson, was in office. Will the Minister consider establishing another fund because the two counties have not been traditionally associated with major tourism here?
Deputy O'Hanlon has shown an interest, along with other Deputies, in the development of tourism facilities in the Border region. Because of the troubles over the past 25 years many of the Border areas were off limits and suffered drastically in terms of their ability to generate economic growth. The figures for allocations to Border areas during the past number of years were higher on average than for many other areas. For instance, in the Border sub-region the 1989-93 tourism operation programme allocated £17 million, the 1988-93 international fund allocated £19 million and the 1991-93 INTERREG Programme allocated £15 million, a total of £51 million as against an average of £17 million for all other sub-regions in the 1989-93 tourism operation programme. I fully understand and appreciate the difficulties suffered by the tourism industry in areas north and south of the Border. It is projected that the dividend from the ongoing peace process, which we all support, will be additional expenditure of approximately £100 million per annum, most of which will be spent in the North.
The dividend is worthwhile and I intend to ensure that funds made avilable to Border counties are additional to — not a substitute for — Exchequer funding, as was the case in the past.
